How To Be A Giant Killer, Part III

This will be the final part of the series, "How To Be a Giant Killer." It's probably not all that needs to be said, but it's all I know to say at this point. I'm still learning about giants and how to slay them.

Which brings me to this final point.....the weapons used to slay giants.

Please keep in mind when you find the giant killer in your life to hang around, you aren't supposed to become a clone. They are one of a kind, just as you are one of a kind. God created you to be what He intends for you to be. He does have a plan.....just for you.....just as unique as you are, too.

If you read in 1Samuel 17:38-39 you fill find the part of the story where Saul tries to talk David into wearing his suit of armor. By the way....this suit of armor actually represented compromise on Saul's part since the only ones who had steel or any metal were the Philistines. They kept all the blacksmiths away from the Jews. None of the Jewish shops carried that line of clothing or weapons made of steel. Wood or rocks were more their speciality. Wonder how Saul got his armor?

A little rabbit trail there.

David chose not to wear Saul's armor. It didn't fit him. He couldn't move in it. He was convinced that if he went out trying to do things as Saul would do them, he'd end up dead.....dog meat and/or a full meal deal for the birds of the air, just as Goliath had threatened.

So, David put the armor down and reached for his own weapon of choice, a shepherds sling and a shepherd's bag. Then he picked up five smooth stones and headed out to face the giant.

Have you ever wondered why "five smooth stones?" I suppose smooth stones flew through the air better. And I've always heard the extra stones were for the giants brothers. I guess that might be so since in my experience giants do come in numbers greater than one. But the Scriptures don't tell us why. But let your imagination run with mine for a minute.....how about if David bent down to pick up the first stone, looked up at Goliath and decided to pick up an additional stone in case the first one didn't work. And then in case he needed more than two, he picked up a third one, a fourth and finally a fifth one. He was determined to get this giant. The giant was NOT going to win, and David had a bag full of stones to enure victory.

Sometimes determination to defeat the giant is that greatest weapon we can have......just sayin'.

Now, let's move forward a bit in time and take note of the other giant killers in 2 Samuel 21;15-22. No mention of slings or smooth stones. They weren't shepherds. They were well trained warriors who used spears, swords and other weapons of warfare.

What's the take away? When you find your giant killer to hang around with, hoping the stuff that makes them a giant killer will rub off on you, don't try to copy them. David knew that if he tried to be like Saul, he would be like all those who preceded him in life.......dead.

And if you find a giant killer to hang around that insists you do things the way they did, find another giant killer to hang around with. You weren't 'meant to be like them.

God has uniquely created you to be unique. Don't die a copy.

Always in Pursuit!

Review of Mark Batterson's book, "Primal"

Mark Batterson has done it again. No, he didn't drive off with the gas pump still in his car or forget another wedding, but he has written another book that will challenge you to the very core of your being.

Just like "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase," Mark is calling us back to basics or to a "Primal" faith in God.

When I first started reading the book, I felt it was a call back to our "first love." But very quickly I discovered there was more to it than that. Mark was giving us a great picture of what the Great Commandment means for our lives.

When Jesus was asked about the most important or greatest commandment of all, he was quick with the response to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." In a very easy to read writing style, Mark quickly defines what it means to love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind and strength.

The explanation and application of what these four elements represent in our lives is life changing. I would dare say most of us have never been challenged to love God with our sense of humor or with our imagination. But those things are part of loving God with our mind.

I've also heard people say that their "heart" tells them one thing but their "head" or their "mind" is telling them something else. It's almost as if they have to detach their heart from their mind when there really shouldn't be a disconnect. If we are truly going to love God with all four of these elements, heart, soul, mind and strength, then all of these need to be working together to bring honor to God.

I tell people frequently that when truth is presented to us, we have to bear responsibility for what we do with it. One day God will ask us what we did with the truth that was illuminated for us. So please be advised that after Primal, you will be responsible for a lot more than you are responsible for at this moment in time.

It's not too late to go out and purchase a copy for yourself and for someone else as a Christmas gift. You will be glad you did and your friend will be glad you did too.

Primal is published by Multnomah Books and should be available in your local Christian Book stores, Amazon, Christian Book Distributors or through your favorite place to purchase books.

Always in Pursuit!

Our oldest son will often respond to a statement of truth by simply saying, “word.” I think I’m too old to use that just as he is too young to say, “right on.” The two responses mean the same thing but are separated by a couple of generations. I was cool when I said, “right on” and he is cool when he says, “word.” (Cool has transcended generations but what constitutes being cool hasn’t.)

In 1975 Bill Gaither wrote a lyric in a song that was both “right on” and “word.” The song was included in Ron Huff’s musical “His Love Reaching” and was sung by Dave Boyer. The lyric is, “and the Word of the Father became Mary’s little Son.”

I don’t remember the first time I heard that song but those words have never left me. They have reminded me that the Word of the Father is reality. The Word is not just something that became reality in ages past but the Word is reality. And every Word is reality. Every promise in the Bible is “yea and amen;” every promise has my name attached to it; and every promise is as real as the Word that became Mary’s little Son.

Mary’s little Son became our Savior. Listen to this reality: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to YOU; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Now that’s “word.”

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Special thanks to the research team of "Marvilous and Marvelous" for their help with the Gaither song!